Improvement in watefrbtoioatobs



A No' 64,730.

Patented May 14, 1867.

[n ess'eli:

me mams Firms cn.. mman @leiten tstr @anni @Hirn ISAAC F. WOODWARD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 64,730, elated llay 14, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-.INDIGATORSFR BOILERS.

`TO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY CDNGERN:` o

, Be. it known thatI I, ISAACEWOODWARD, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an improved Water- Indicutor'for Steam Boilers; and d'o hcreby'declare the following to be n full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the `accompanying drawing, und to the letters of reference marked thereon.:

My invention consists of a 'glass tube, having a closed top and lower open end communicating with the steam-space of a boiler, in combination with an indicating ro'd arranged to slide in the tube, and connected to or controlled by a iloat, allv substantially as described hereafter, so that the exact height of thewater in the boiler can always be ascertained without the aid of the objectionable stnihng-boxes which lhave been hitherto deemed indispensable adjuncts to indicators of this class. y i

In order to enable others skilled in the ,art to malke and apply my invention, lI will now proceed to describe a mode of carrying it into effect. On reference to the accompsnying drawing, which forms a. part of this speciticatini .FigureI 1 is n. sectional view of my improved water-indicator for steam boilers.

Figure 2, an exterior view of the same.

Figure 3, a. transverse sectional plain on the line 1-2, iig. 1;.'and

Figure 4 a; modification of part of the instrument.

A represents part of the upper portion of the shell o f a boiler, into which is screwed a hollow stud, B, and in the upper p ortion of the latter is formed an enlargement or recess, into which is screwed the follower D, and between this follower and the bottom of the recess intervenes a packing-ring, e. r E is n,4 glass tube, closed at the top and open at the bottom, its lower end passing throughv the `follower D, packing .e, andistud B intothe boiler,

so as to communicate with thev steam-space' of the same. 4The tube may be conined to its place either bythev simple-pressure of the packing around it, or air enlargement or flange may be made on the tube-and confined' with the packing` by the follower D. Fis n. float, having-a 4tu`be, for the admission of n. screw-rod, G, which is proyided with nuts It, one abovcttnd'tbe otherb'e'low the float, so that the latter may be adjusted on the rod.-

lAt the upper end of the rodG is a disk, m, midbelowthe latter a similar disk, n, both disks being-arran'gedgto slide-freely in the interiorof the glass tube, and being so muchsmallerthan the latter .that the steam can have free access to every part of the interior of thetuhe: Smallpieces of-metul, of theform shown in g. 4, may be used in place of the disks, so as to serve as guides'for the rod during its movements, andat the same time permit the steam to circulate freely in the tube. Either to the follower D or stud -B' is cast, or otherwise secured, the

index-plate H, which, in the present instance, is made of the shape best observedon reference to fig. 3, -one half f of the glass tube being containedl withina, Vverticaly groove made .in the plate by bending the same, as shown, :rnd

llanges t t being formed one on each edge of the plate, on whichiian'ges'ure made such marks or figures as may be deemed most appropriate fori'ndiccting the height of the water in the boiler, for the loatmust be so'adjusted on the rod (Shin-.respect to the disk m and the marks on the plate, that the coincidence of this disk with a given min-k' will indicutethe precisefheight of the water in the boiler, On the top of the plate H,' and covering the end ofthe grootte in tiresome, is a. plate, y, against which the upper end of the glass tube bears, so as to prevent therlatter fronrbeing forcedupwards by 'the steam. A small strip of gum-elastic or other like material may be interposed betwee'lithe plate .f1/'and top of l the-'glass tube.

- In the presentA instance thcrem'ebut three index marks-1, 2, and S-on the plate H. When the disk coincideswith-'fhe ma-rk 2 the Vwuteris at"an appropriate height, but when the disk fall-ls belowthis markfit indicates .alwantlof water, and when it approaches the mark 1, determines the fact thatl there is a superiiuity of water within the boiler. As the front of the tubeis exposedito view, the position of the disk m in respect to these marks can be easily observed. l i I Many devices, in which a -llont is aprominent feature, have been devised for indicating the height of water ina boiler, but in all cases within my knowledge the movement of the-lloat has been communieatedto some1 indicating' object through the medium of a rod or wire passing through e stuilingbox inthe boiler, a well-known objectionable feature, to dispose of which has been themein objecof my invention. In my impravedii'ndicator there are nojoints or'stuing-hoxes tointerfere with the delicate operation of'th'eioiily moving object, which is the rod G' and. its ilont, :ind this moving part, beingcontained within' the stianid'spaoe of the boiler, has full edom of action, and cannot possibly fail to perform its duty with the greatest certainty. The rod G may be i'tinued so far below the oot as to come in Contact with the bottom of the boiler when the lutter is emptv, eventing the entire withdrawal of the indicating portion of the'i'oii from tho tube. It will be evident :reby pr nte, and the appliances for securing the' open end of'the tube to the boiler, may be Valtered or Lt the index-pl diied without departing from the main feature of my invention.

I elniin :is my invention, and desire tov secure' by Lett-orsiPatent--4 nitving n closed top und lower open end communicating with the stoom-space of vla, boiler, in

A glass tube,

und connected to or controlled by o float, all

nbination with an indicating-roll arranged to slicie in the tube, )etantially ns and For the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof lA have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC F. WOODWARDt Witnesses: x

JOHN WHITE, W. J. R. Denim'. 

